Editing Nature of the Beast (section)

==Non Player Characters==

===Silas Buckner, the entrepreneur===

"''Do you know what would happen were I to drive this harvester through your protest line?''"

Balding, overweight, in his 50s. Buckner is known for his short temper and a habit of throwing his weight around. The family has traditionally had plenty of influence in Firdale, and although their fortunes have been on the wane, Silas sees the pipeline as an opportunity to restore them. He still has plenty of influence in the town hall, and a large number of big, angry loggers willing to do what he says.

===Otis James, the Mayor===

"''Everything is under control!''"

Mayor James used to have it easy. In the overwhelmingly Republican town he has not had a serious challenger for his position. All he had to do to keep it was maintain the status quo. Then came the pandemic and Firdale's financial difficulties. With bedrocks of the town's economy under threat on his watch, Mayor James needs to find new solutions. Something he has never been good at, focusing as he has been on keeping things running as they always have. To him, Prospect Oil pipeline is a salvation not just for Firdale's economy but for his career as well.

In his 60s but fit for his age, Mayor James likes to project an air of an authoritative person in control of the situation. Some talk around town says that if Buckner told him to jump out of the window, James would not even stop to open it first.

===Rory Coleman, the Sheriff===

"''I am too old for this shit!''"

Sheriff Coleman has kept the peace in Firdale for a long time. He is known as a calm and patient person who prefers to handle situations with words, but is capable of manhandling any drunken lumberjack if it comes to that. Now, two years from retirement, the gray haired, pipe smoking Sheriff finds himself having to deal with the largest protests in his career.

===Cynthia Kimble, the Deputy===

"''Before you mess with me, know that I have been trained with all the police brutality of a big city cop!''"

Tall for a woman, and in fact taller than most men, this curly haired black woman moved to Firdale from New York a couple of years ago after becoming fed up with life and police work in a big city and wanting to try a quiet small town instead - and now the troubles she wanted to get away from have followed her.

===Wiley Griffin, the Prospect Manager===

"''I want these people gone. I do not care what it takes.''"

Dark Haired, well dressed and slick, Griffin is an ambitious career climber who, in his mid twenties, has already elbowed his way to a managerial position. He aims to ultimately be in the board of directors, and got himself appointed to manage the pipeline project, seeing it as a stepping stone to further prestigious appointments. In public, he makes an effort to appear reasonable and diplomatic about the protests, but according to the rumors Griffin has a reputation of being absolutely ruthless when dealing with what he sees as obstacles to his ambitions.

===Ranger Teton===

Native American Park Ranger in charge of the local National Park Service Station. In his forties, but in good shape for a middle aged guy.

===The Protest Leaders===

====Roberto Ferrera====

"''Let's all calm down.''"

Past 50 but with no hint of gray in his dark hair, Ferrera is a veteran of numerous protests. He is also a dedicated pacifist who abhors any kind of violence and believes in dialogue and nonviolent action.

====Denice Rose====

"''This scene is pure clickbait!''"

A black woman in her 30s, Rose has her own YouTube channel and is highly active in social media. She is here to raise awareness. Some people say that she is raising awareness of herself as much as of the protests and the situation. It is true that she seems to enjoy attention, but she also seems genuinely concerned about the pipeline and its impact.

====Destiny Knight====

"''Burn the rules!''"

Definitely the most radical of the unofficial leadership of the protests, and the one of them who is a local. It would be a serious understatement to call her a nonconformist. In the overwhelmingly Republican and religious town, she is openly Democrat, openly atheist and openly gay, with a doubled Venus symbol prominently pictured on the back of the vest she wears. Recently graduated from Firdale High School, she looks like a punk rocker with hair dyed electric blue. Destiny is a consternation to her "pillars of the community" parents. Her mother is a doctor and her father a clerk in the town hall.

====Lars Knudsen====

"''Who is willing to break a few things and heads for the cause?''"

Tall, buff, in his late twenties, with a shoulder length blonde hair. Lars is the front man for Forest Guardians, a radical environmentalist group taking part in the protests. They are not quite ecoterrorists, but are more than willing to commit sabotage and violence for their cause.

===Jacqueline "Jack" McCloud, the hunter===

"''Crap is supposed to come out of your rear end, not your mouth.''"

A gray haired woman in a wide brimmed hat. A seasoned hunter and wilderness guide, she is widely considered to be the best tracker in Firdale. What most people don't know is that she carries a silver bullet hanging from a chain around her neck.

===MC Highwaymen===

A criminal biker gang based in Dead Jack's Roadhouse south of Firdale.

====Roxanne "Rocky" Hill====

"''Stop that or you, me, and a pair of broken bottles will have a talk out back!''"

This stocky middle aged woman is the proprietor of the roadhouse. Not a gang member, but closely associated with them.

====Oliver "Old Man" Martin====

"''The wages of evil are paid to a bank account in a tax haven.''"

The gang President. An old biker with a long, gray-white hair and beard, looking a bit like Santa Claus in a biker outfit. Grew up in Firdale and used to be best frieds with Sheriff Coleman when they were kids.

====Zoilo Vidal====

"''Some things in the woods are better left alone - like our meth lab.''"

Gang Vice President and second in command. A Hispanic biker with graying hair.

====Edgar "Edge" Stroud====

"''The drinks are on the ones who lose!''"

A dark haired biker with a five o'clock shadow kind of facial hair.

====Dustin "Dusty" Rhodes====

"''It is not like we call the shots.''"

A biker with a curly, shoulder length blonde hair.